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Neal Brown Proclaims WVU Freshman LB James Heard Will Have Impact in 2023 Season

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WVU Football freshman LB James Heard

MORGANTOWN, W.Va – While WVU head coach Neal Brown recruited James Heard Jr. believing he could play right away, that’s never a guarantee for any player.

Unprompted, Brown complimented the freshman linebacker in the midst of giving his assessment of his team as the end of the Spring practice session approaches. Brown had some high praise for Heard after being able to actually see him out there on the field for a month.

Heard did earn a four-star ranking out of high school, so it’s not as if he went completely unnoticed, but no coach can be totally sure about a player until watching practice with his team.

“He’s about as natural of a pass rusher as we’ve recruited. He’ll be a factor for us in the Fall,” said Brown about Heard. These are big words to say about a freshman. Brown is often noncommittal about proclaiming how much a freshman will play right away, but already feels confident to let the world know he expects Heard to have an impact.

The true test for Heard will come during Fall camp, as that creates a more serious atmosphere with the season on the horizon. The youth and athleticism of the WVU defense also favor Heard getting enough chances out on the field to a productive player for the Mountaineers this season.

Listed at 6-foot-2 and 218 pounds, Heard committed to West Virginia over 15 other schools. Boston College, Cincinnati, Duke, Kentucky, Maryland, Miami, Mississippi, Nebraska, Penn State, Rutgers, Temple, Tennessee, Texas A&M, Virginia and Virginia Tech were the other schools to offer him.

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